2026-27 Gonzaga Player Profiles: Isiah Harwell
The countdown is fully on as November 2nd quickly approaches for opening night and tip-off to the Gonzaga basketball 2026-27 campaign. Now, on my new podcast Nothin' But Net, we will have a complete college basketball preview series, but I can't monopolize my time there on the Zags. So we are going old school, "pen to paper" in a sense, with a blog series previewing the potential full rotation (IF all eligible) for the season in a player profile series. Today we are starting with someone who is 100% a go: Isaiah Harwell.
Before I get into Harwell, I first want to mention some of the freshmen who I think have bright futures, and one who could be this year's Davis Fogle. Sam Funches, Luca Foster, and Juwan Ekanga all look to have enough talent to carve out roles right away at the D1 level, but this isn't just any roster, so they now have the chance to use this season to develop and get time when called upon. To me, Funches is the one of the three who could carve out a role, especially with Chauncey Wiggins & Izan Almansa still awaiting clearance. Right now, the frontcourt is elite, but thin. His size is D1-ready, and we know Spokane can get a big ready to roll very fast (yes, pun intended!).
Okay, now to Harwell, the focus of today's player profile. The former 5-star recruit is coming back to his roots in the PNW, as he is an Idaho kid whose dad played down the road at Idaho State in his college days. After choosing Houston over Gonzaga out of prep, it took only one year for him to make the decision to come to Spokane. Look, sometimes it just takes a little distance for the heart to know what it wants.
For Harwell, it was a tough 12–18 months for his basketball career, as injuries didn't allow him to fully prepare for his freshman year in Houston. Even while still recovering and not finding his offense, he still carved out a bench role on a top-10 team. This shows that when healthy, the 5-star potential is clearly still there. Either way, he felt coming to Gonzaga could be the perfect fresh start, transferring and committing to the Bulldogs fairly quickly last spring. Right away, the biggest difference from what is being said around campus is a healthy, full offseason! Already through a showcase like Kraziness in the Kennel, he showed that full ability could be back! So what does that mean for this season?
Well, I am VERY high on Harwell. Coming out of high school, I was extremely disappointed we didn't get him, as I saw him as a legit NBA prospect. Now, to finally see him in a Zags uni, I think is going to be big for us. Of course, the rotation is still figuring itself out with all the eligibility stuff, but I would not be surprised to see him in the starting five at some point this season, hopefully sooner rather than later. He is the kind of player who can defend multiple positions on one end while scoring from all three levels on the other. Him getting to be one of the players to do interviews after the Kraziness I think is a big sign too! We don't need him to be a hero, either, which I think will actually help him feel more comfortable with his game.
The idea of him & Davis Fogle on the court together is scary, as their athleticism and scoring abilities could become an elite combo. Harwell is a guy who can finish above the rim just like Fogle, and with their length, it will make offenses think twice about going to the rack. With him on Braden Huff, Massamba Diop, and Fogle on the court together, that can be a lot of size to deal with. Also, when thinking about that lineup on the other end, I think it is going to give Harwell more room to find his spots to score. Last year he was on an elite team, but often playing with the second unit, the offense to spread the floor was not like what we will have with our dudes.
Overall, my player projections are a best-case scenario in my mind. Not to mention his ability to defend and help on the boards! This Saturday in Arkansas will be a good measuring stick for how Coach Few wants to use Harwell, but also it is just a scrimmage, so the key will be to stay grounded either way. Last year his shooting splits were horrific; I just don't see that happening again if he is and stays healthy. I think with the guys around him, 10 points a game is not crazy and also not bad at all. This team gives me 2017–2022 vibes of guys taking turns being "the guy" that night, and Harwell, I believe, can be one of those guys.
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